


Chapter One: Dearest Darling Daughter

by languageismymistress



Category: Original - Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-10
Updated: 2018-05-21
Packaged: 2019-05-04 16:03:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14596623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/languageismymistress/pseuds/languageismymistress





	1. Chapter 1

One of the blessings of visiting her parents in the Underworld was the long talks and idle chatter with Charon as he ferried them calmly across the course waters of the River Styx. Unfortunately, with a benefit must come a flaw, a pain in the ass called Thanatos. No matter how many times Florence had entered the realm _that she grew up in her father _decided that she was to be accompanied to and from the ferry. Her father claimed it to be for her own safety but her mother told her otherwise. It was all because Hades found out about the one time that she took Ceberus out for a walk and ended up getting lost amongst the Amazonians. One call from Hippolyta and Flo and Ceb were brought back home by her disappointed father and gleaming mother and that was the end of it, so she thought. Given the bodyguard stuck to her throughout her Underworld adventures, her father indeed had not forgotten it, at all.__

__

__Hades stood by the edge of the dock, Ceberus by his side pulling on his lead. Flo laughed behind her hand, running onto the dock before Charon finished roping the ferry to the old wooden post swaying in the waters. Her father let go of the lead, Ceberus pouncing on her, her body colliding with the ground._ _

__

__‘Gross Cebby,’ she wiped her cheek, hand covered in saliva._ _

__

__‘He missed you,’ Hades smiled down at them._ _

__

__‘Well I missed him,’ she scratched behind Ceb’s ear, giggling at his tail wagging._ _

__

__‘Just him?’_ _

__

__‘Mum, muuuuummm, can’tbreathe,’_ _

__

__She mumbled, the arms around her trying their hardest to break her ribs._ _

__

__‘Good thing you’re with the dead,’ she rolled her eyes at her father._ _

__

__Family dinners with her parents were a must, as winter turns to spring and her mother goes to her parents place, Flo must visit her parents fortnightly. It wasn’t so much of a hassle but rather a chance for her parents to make sure that their ‘little baby’ was looking after herself._ _

__

__Florence and Ceb followed her parents down the lit hallway. The decorations of the place having changed from the gloomy winter chill of fur throws and dusty bones to a more appeasing spring time warmth._ _

__

__‘Just because I am visiting Olympus does not mean your father is going to grouch throughout Spring and Summer,’ her mother winked at him, Hades cheeks reddened under her mother’s loving gaze._ _

__

__‘Naturally,’ Ceberus licked her face in agreeance._ _

__

__‘Are you joining us Thanatos or just going to stand in the corner like a grumpy shadow?’ she pivoted to stare at her ‘babysitter’._ _

__

__‘I’m not grumpy,’ he crossed his arms leaning back against one of the four rose gold posts that outline the dining area._ _

__

__‘Go to your husband and I will call once I am ready to return,’ she dismissed him, taking her seat in the middle of the triangle table designed and created by Hephaestus for her parents wedding anniversary._ _

__

__Dinner came out rather fast for the night, the food in front of her ridding her nose of the smell of rotting bones and decay from the surrounding rooms. Her mother’s plate full of food from above, plus a spattering of pomegranate seeds. Her father’s often was small portioned food as he had to take off in a hurry at some soul ruining their dinner._ _

__

__Flo pushed her food around her plate. The last time she went to eat, her parents quizzed her on all parts of her life, all of them._ _

__

__‘Sweetheart, why aren’t you eating?’ she looked up at her mother._ _

__

__‘Just waiting,’_ _

__

__‘For?’_ _

__

__‘So how’s your studies with Athena going?’ Hades smiled._ _

__

__‘That,’ Flo laughed softly, ‘It’s going,’ Flo raised her eyebrow at her father’s chuckle._ _

__

__‘Just going?’ her mother shook her head._ _

__

__‘I like learning about how to read people and the study seems to help with the dreams and nightmares,’ she mumbled, her food resembling a poor mans’ rendition of a Starry Night._ _

__

__‘I’m glad my dear, we just want what’s,’ A hollowing scream and crash echoed from the closed door to the left. Hades smiled at them both, wiping his mouth with the napkin on his lap._ _

__

__‘I’m sorry my dear,’ he kissed Persephone’s temple, ruffling Flo’s hair as he went to deal with the soul that found its way down here without Charon or Hermes accompanying it. Flo pushed her plate away, her appetite, like her father, disappeared._ _

__

__‘Your father told me that is the third time this week that’s happened,’ her mother kept her eyes on the door where Hades had disappeared through._ _

__

__‘Did he say why?’ Flo whispered, not wanting to cause her father to reappear or worry._ _

__

__‘No but when I was walking with Athena, we did overhear a little conversation between Zeus and Hera,’ her mother trailed off, watching the gateway for her husband before continuing. ‘There seems to be whispers going around of a revolt from our old friends the Titans, Zeus is concerned that they are fully equipped for a fight. Hera agrees,’_ _

__

__‘That is a shock,’_ _

__

__‘Anyway, Athena, begrudgingly checked with Ares and he agrees, there is something in the air,’ Flo’s chest tightened._ _

__

__‘For Athena to ask Ares, that means there is something,’ her mother cut her off, ‘next time you must bring Nemesis, it would be nice to meet one of your friends,’_ _

__

__‘If any,’ Hades snorted. ‘You two were never good at hiding things from me,’ he raised his eyebrow at his wife, ‘My brother, is just concerned and would like his bolt from his hidey hole to be able to defend the borders from any peril that may come,’ a crack of lightning hit the floor, Hades rolling his eyes to the heavens above._ _

__

__‘Daaaaaaddddddd,’ Flo whined, sagging her shoulders._ _

__

__‘Ignore him,’ he waved off the smoke, ‘all I am just saying, you should socialise, meet people,’ Hades shrugged. ‘Find a boy or girl, settle down, if you want’_ _

__

___‘You can marry them, look at me I am old but I’m happy,’ _Thanatos sung the rest.___ _

____ _ _

____‘Right, on that note, we’re leaving,’ Flo smiled at her parents. Persephone wrapping her in a hug that constricted her air flow. Hades patted her on the head, kissing her temple. Ceberus whined and sulked in the corner._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____‘I will bring a present next time, okay?’ She bribed, Ceberus’ tail wagged._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____‘Come Thanatos, our chariot awaits,’ Flo linked arms with him, skipping off towards Charon with Thanatos stumbling over air trying to keep in time with her skips._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Charon bided them both a fond farewell at the river bank, Thanatos lead the way to her apartment. The streets lighting up under the moons touch, small flowers growing under its light. The river near them flowing with the hush tones of the night air. Peaceful and quiet, a time where Flo could sit and mediate or relax, needing to focus on the inner energies that often try to flare up._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____‘Farewell Flo, until next time,’ Thanatos bowed, leaving her glaring at his retreating figure._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Humming to herself, she made note of plans to embarrass her babysitter, one way or another, wrestling with her pockets to find her key, or a bobbie pin. Acting on a hunch, she turned the door knob, the door swaying open, she body met the ground with a thud that could have woken the dead. Luck was on her side, neither Nemesis nor her dead army came to her rescue. Bad from the armies point if she were in mortal, or immortal peril, but good from Nem, either her roommate was out with friends or drinking. A quick glance around the room gave Flo her answer. Two feet dangling over the edge of the yellow stained couch that they found on the side of the road, the TV blasting a western movie Nem became more obsessed with as the semester went on. Three beers bottles empty on the floor with a half-eaten pizza, cold on the table. Looks like she had a fun night in. Flo shook her head, resting a blanket over Nem’s sleeping body, cutting off her laugh at Nem snuggling into the couch, pulling the blanket further around herself. Switching the TV off, she landed on her bed with a thump, sleep hitting her before her head hit the pillow._ _ _ _


	2. Chapter 2

Beeping woke her from her sleep, coffee dragged her from her bed, water woke her from her daze and a shower to get her smelling less of the dead and more of a decent being. A quick glance to the clock and dash to get changed, Flo headed out the door with a piece of toast between her teeth, the sun far from the horizon it had risen from. 

 

‘Floooooooooooooooooooo,’ she stopped in her tracks.

 

‘Neeeemmmmmm,’ she sung back, waiting for her roommate to catch up.

 

‘I thought you were going to wake me?’ Nem bumped her shoulder into Flo.

 

‘Here I thought you weren’t going to get drunk last night,’ she shook her head, both girls walking in time towards Herodotus University.

 

‘Yeah, but Dionysus came into the bar and Ares’ boys were there and it… didn’t end well?’ Nem stopped, tilting her head to the sky.

 

‘I’m sure Zeus isn’t going to give you an answer,’ she tugged on Nem’s arm.

 

Nem gave her a smile that taunted her dreams, the one that ended in disaster for them. She took off running leaving Flo to catch up with her underneath the old archways that Athena had built for the university. The arches led each student to their proper classroom, no matter who took which one, they would end up where they needed to be. 

 

Nem took the case to their left, Flo walking forward towards the grand doors leading to the Great Hall where Athena leant against one of the columns.

 

“You’re late,” 

 

“I’m on time, you practically live here,” 

 

Athena laughed, Florence’s shoulders dropped in relief. The Great Hall morphed itself into the heart of the campus. The stone walls turning to lush green walls of plants with dashes of colour scattered across it like paint on a blank canvas. Athena nodded and smiled at all the passing students, both her own and others. Florence took in her surroundings, noting the exits and the number of people between them all. Everything Athena did was a lesson for her, even the ones she didn’t know she was learning. 

 

“You need to learn to focus on everything and not just the negative,” Florence looked towards Athena, leaning back at the flower in front of her face. 

 

Athena wove the small pink flower into her own hair, listening to the sounds of the students running and chatting along the corridor. Florence tried to follow, listening to half conversations, dodging oncoming students with mere millimetres between them. Athena could walk on rubble and bones and still have the grace of a nymph, she would look like a Hydra falling to a fiery death. 

 

“Patience, Florence, it will come with time,” 

 

Florence wasn’t sure whether Athena meant her grace or her walk or something entirely different. Given the look she received, she was not going to question either.

 

“Sit, close your eyes,” 

 

Florence rose an eyebrow but said nothing, fidgeting on the damp concrete seat to get find a comfortable position. The old olive trees gave her small relief from the sun as it rose higher into the air. 

 

“Breathe and listen to everything around you,” 

 

Birds chirped high into the sky. 

 

Students chattered to themselves and each other. 

 

Pages turned in the light breeze filtering through the corridors. 

 

Reaching out further with each breath, the warmth from the sun faded to the chill from a shadow. 

 

The bird’s chirps silenced. 

 

Her heart beat slowing to a near death-like rhythm. 

 

Her eyes forced themselves open, shadows of people walked amongst the living. The hushed wails from below grew louder with each beat of her heart. A shudder ripped through her body, the wails echoed around her, closing in around the seat where she sat cross-legged. A figure crept closer, their mouth moving though no words came from it. Florence forced herself to push through, ignoring the throbbing in her head, the pain shooting down her left arm. The figures shadows blurred from dark grey to colour, the world around her stilled. Fire erupted the sky, shouts of fear and horrors broken through the silence. A figure lurched forward to pull her from this nightmare looking scene. 

 

Light hit her eyes as they peered open. The crowded main quad, empty. Athena sat to her side, running her hand through Florence’s hair. The figure from her dream scape still in front of her, worry over their face. 

 

‘I’m fine,’ she waved Grace off, the Earth rumbled in agreeance, Athena kept her from falling onto the grass. 

 

‘Okay, that wasn’t me,’ she looked at Grace, ‘go gather the troops, do a quick but silent sweep of the area,’ Grace nodded, vanishing into thin green air. 

 

Athena held onto Flo’s hand guiding her out of the quad towards the back steps of the university’s garden, the fresh air helping her refresh after the nightmare. The students of the university were scattered outside among the statues, making it difficult to distinguish one from the other. 

 

The sky’s bright blue peered through the dark clouds covering its surface. The calm sky erupting in a light show between the clouds. The ground rumbling in time with the lightning above them. The light and the rumbling increased. Flo’s heart beat rising with them, both hitting a high point until silence. 

 

The air stilled. 

 

The sky silenced and the rumbling stopped. 

 

Her heart dropped to the bottom of her stomach. 

 

She blinked to stare at a bright blue sky. No clouds in sight. The sun shining down on them all. The Earth had stilled. Gaia having to gone asleep. Students walking around again in minutes as nothing had happened. 

 

It chilled Flo to her bones. 

 

‘Florence,’ Grace panted, leaning against one of the few ghost posts within the university.

 

‘Anything?’ 

 

‘Nothing, either no one knows or,’ Flo cut her off, ‘no one is saying anything,’ she leant her head against Athena. Nightmares of any kind drained her energy, making her sleepy most of the time she was wide awake. 

 

‘You need to sleep,’ Athena led her from the university’s walls.

 

‘I need to go to work,’ Florence tried, and failed, to put up a decent argument against Athena. 

 

‘Sleep then go to work, I will let Nem know you are running late Florence’ Athena gave them both a small bow, heading back into the quad.

 

The path Grace helped her walk down blurred under the sun. The too harsh to open her eyes. 

 

“Let me help,” Grace patted her hand. 

 

Florence nodded, the toll of the nightmare making each step more difficult for her tired body to manage. Grace made nice with those around her, prodding Florence to poke her head up at her mentor students, smiling and nodding to their questions. The campus wasn’t large but there were ever few places to hide out of plain sight. Grace managed to get them to the eastern corner of the science block. The smell of sulphur and gas floating down the barren corridors.

 

‘Are you able to ghost through or do I need to carry your ass the rest of the way back?’ 

 

Florence laughed at the tone Grace gave her, noting the worry that flashed over her second in command’s eyes. 

 

“We will find out,” 

 

Florence closed her eyes. Breathing in for three beats and out of three. Closing down all other senses around, she focused on only her heartbeat. 

 

Opening her eyes, the dull green corridor looked worse in the black and whites of the shadow world. It’s the one place where she could go that no one but her spirit army could go. The peace Florence found in the space calmed her nerves. Her body trying to fight through to the realm with her, an odd sensation seeing her body looking at her with her hip cocked to the side. 

 

Alright, I will move.

 

The best, and worst, part about travelling through the shadow realm, a part from getting lost in there for eons, was the traffic. For a place of the dead, it was rather lively. Pivoting on her right foot, she grabbed Grace’s arm as she entered the stream of traffic, travelling from the science corridor to her apartment in what seemed a blink of the eye. The sun high in the sky giving her little warmth as her soul re-connected with her body. 

 

‘Goodnight, Cap,’ 

 

Florence laughed at the small salute Grace gave, hoping it was out of respect then mockery. Knowing Grace, she could never be sure. Her body started moving on its own, falling onto the couch. Napping being a high priority.


End file.
